Hotel: Hyatt Regency Downtown Chicago

City: Chicago, IL
Chain: Hyatt
Property: Chicago
Address: Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL
Phone Number:

Check Out: November 30, 2006

While this should have been a top of the line hotel stay, it was unfortunately very uncomfortable. The room, high up with a great view, had a noise in the air conditioning system which woke me up all night. Maintenance came the next day to fix it, which replaced the sharp clunk noise with a tremendous smell of WD-40. I guess you can get used to anything when you're tired, but the whole experience left me disappointed - especially at the price range of this hotel.

The main lobby is a large atrium, which houses a large bar and a large "nightclub". So, it was incredibly noisy the whole time with no break.

On the good side, the staff were very nice and friendly. But, the general layout of the hotel and my bad luck with a very bad room problem is the only lasting memory of the experience.

Internet was an extra $13 a night, which is too much at those room rates.

Restaurant: Gene & Georgetti, Chicago IL

Chicago, IL
312-527-3718
Downtown
http://www.geneandgeorgetti.com/

A small, old, corner restaurant in all the great ways a restaurant is small and old. A ton of character, great professional bartenders (that know "martini" doesn't mean "vodka"), and great professional wait staff. The speciality is Italian cooking in a chop house tradition. While we were eating the Monday Night Football game was Seattle-Chicago, away in Seattle where it was snowing like mad. Looking up at the TV made you think you were in Chicago in winter with the ball game going on at Soldier field.

Food was top notch, and having a good experienced waiter added a lot to the meal. He was able to guide us around the menu, adding suggestions where needed.

Valet parking available.

Map

Flight: United #625 DCA-ORD

Departing From: Washington, DC (DCA)
Traveling To: Chicago, IL (ORD)
ETD: 04:40PM November 26, 2006
ETA: 06:35AM December 26, 2006
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate:
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 33F
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:

Most likely my last business trip for the year, and lucky me traveling Thanksgiving weekend! Full flights, cramped seats. Got to the airport 2 hours earlier because of all th warnings about long lines, and this was completely false. Everyone got there early, there weren't long lines (at Reagan, anyway), so the waiting area was way too full because of all the people waiting for flights.

And, it was difficult to see the Redskins game on the one TV in the airport wanting area showing the game. There were a dozen TVs there, but only one on the Redskins, the others on some AFC game as if Washington was a city with an AFC team and our game wasn't on now.

Flight was completely uninteresting, except that once again it was impossible to open a laptop because of how far back United seats lean back. So I was stuck staring at the bald spot of the passenger in front of me the whole time.